


Tender Cores

by JAFOST



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, No Season 3, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Season/Series 02, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:55:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26064592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JAFOST/pseuds/JAFOST
Summary: A destabilizing Dani seeks her cousin, but ends up in the welcoming arms of an angel. A truce between two enemies leads down a road of secrets, so many fights, drama, trust, friendship, romance, and a budding family.Long form, slow-burn DannyxEmber. Post Season 2, no Season 3. And a large focus on the rogues gallery and allies that are, the Ghosts.
Relationships: Danny Fenton/Ember McLain
Comments: 14
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1: The Clone's Desperation

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: One-time disclaimer, I do not own Danny Phantom and its characters. The show and characters belong to Butch Hartman.

**Tender Cores**

**Chapter 1: The Clone's Desperation**

_[Amity Park, 7:55 AM]_

The sun shined over the cloudless sky in Amity Park. The city was alive with the people's hustle and bustle of early commute. No incident, no hubbub, and no ghosts. From the everyman's perspective, all was as it would be. Unless they looked hard enough to find the abnormality.

Unseen by the majority of the masses, a barista kicked open the back-alley door, ready to throw out some trash in the dumpster. But stopped mid lunge, when he saw a crouching form.

"Hey kid! This ain't a resting stop! Beat it!" He snapped.

Finishing his job, he slammed the door shut behind him without even batting another eye on the awaking figure.

To him and most people, she was just a homeless child. To the very minority of people who acknowledged her existence, they know her as Danielle Phantom.

"Ooooh man …" Danielle groaned, clutching her head as she struggled to stand up. "How can I feel worse after sleeping?"

The young girl had been travelling around the country with very little on her person. Spending most of her days exploring, learning about the world around her, and surviving off what she could get her hands on. With the arduous willpower to stop herself from doing unlawful deeds. Sometimes. Then ending the day sleeping on benches, rooftops, and if she was fortunate, an old tossed out mattress. Despite the less than luxurious lifestyle, she was ultimately content enjoying her life as a free spirit on the streets.

That was until, the melting returned.

Just yesterday, she engaged in a fight with a manticore ghost. Her opponent proved to be a lot stronger than the average ghosts she came across, resulting in a strenuous ordeal where she expended more energy to even push back the beast.

This had the consequence of her instability to return in a far worse state. She was too drained to continue the fight that she had to retreat, and leave the beast for some guys in white to subdue. Feeling the desperation of her situation, she knew there was only one person who could help her. Her cousin.

She spent the entire afternoon and evening to reach Amity Park, only letting herself land in the alley for some much needed sleep.

Which leads to where she is now: awake with a headache, low energy, and a growling stomach.

'… _need to keep my strength up.'_ Danielle reached over the dumpster. _'Hopefully there's something edible here.'_

Puncturing the trash bags with her nails and ripping them open, Danielle scavenged the waste for anything that her belly could keep down. Feeling through the discarded trays, plastic utensils, and whatever moldy thing she was poking, her fingers felt a familiar smooth, round surface. Elated, she grabbed the spherical object and smiled at her catch.

A completely fine apple. No bruise, no worms, no bites.

' _What a waste of a perfect fruit. But I guess I should be thankful to the waster.'_ Danielle shrugged. Cleaning the apple on her somewhat dirty hoodie, she licked her lips and eagerly bit down on the apple.

"Hm, still fresh." She sat down and enjoyed her basic breakfast with voracious speed.

In no time, the apple was stripped to its core. It was paltry in content for her stomach. But it did stop her headache.

"That's better. I wish there was more …" Danielle shook her head. "No, I don't have time to worry about my stomach. Stabilization first. I need to get to Danny. He'll help me."

She exited the alley, into the busy street of the city. Looking at the street sign, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a map of Amity Park. Scanning through it, she found the same street name. And thus, where she was. According to the map, she was not too far from Fenton Works.

"Perfect! I can walk there and save some strength." She folded her map and started walking in the direction to the Fenton residence.

"Vlad's still all the way at Wisconsin. I don't have to worry being in my human form. No one here is looking for a random little girl."

* * *

_[Fenton Works, 8:20 AM]_

Danielle felt her heart beat in joy at the sight of the Fenton building. Being careful that no one was around or looking at her direction, she went in between Fenton Works and the building beside it.

A white ring formed itself around her, and split into two. One ascending and the other descending. As they traversed, her ragged hoodie, shorts, red beanie, and blue shoes changed into her two-piece hazmat suit. Complete with white hair, green eyes, and the DP logo.

Her transformation completed, the halfa flew to the second floor. Turning invisible and intangible, she flew into her cousin's room.

"Danny? Danny, are you there?"

To her dismay, the room was empty. A disheveled bed. Papers and discs spread in a disorganized fashion on his desk. Clothes left on the ground or on the bed.

No luck here. She flew out and checked the kitchen, the high-tech ops center, and the bathroom. No Danny. The last place she had not looked yet was the basement. Praying for her hopes to be awarded, she entered the basement to find:

Also no Danny.

"Darn it!" She whined. "He must've already left for school."

She turned visible and tangible, landing on the steel floor. Danielle huffed, fingers rubbing her temples as she collected herself. "Okay. Not a big deal. I'll just wait here till he gets home."

She lifted her foot, and felt the sudden sensation of sinking.

Her eyes widened. She looked down to see her left leg was sinking into a green mess of ectoplasm.

"Ah!" she gasped.

She closed her eyes, focusing all her energy and attention to keeping herself together. She could feel herself rise back as her left foot reformed itself.

Gasping in a mixture of exhaustion and anxiety, the young halfa gripped her chest, feeling the rapid beating heart underneath.

"I … I can't keep this up. I need help … Danny." Her eyes watered, tears threatening to come out at the situation she was in.

But she did not let them fall.

"No. You can't be like this. You have to stay strong. Just, stay strong." She sniffed, rubbing her eyes. Renewed with determination.

"Alright. What are my options … Danny's parents make all sorts of ghost stuff. Maybe there's something here that can help me."

Danielle looked around her, several gadgets and doodads that were spread available to her. She walked to a table and examined the contents.

"Let's see. We have a thermos, a fishing rod, … whatever this thing is." Her brow arched at the next object that looked the least high-tech of them all. She picked it up and looked at the label that read, "The Fenton Anti-Creep Stick?"

Groaning she placed the regular bat (with the name Fenton written on it) back on the table. Closing her eyes in defeat, she pulled her hair with annoyance. "Ugh, I am in way over my head!"

"Is that you, Maddie? Already working on the Fenton Bazooka without me!?"

Danielle's green eyes widened at the male voice from above. That was Danny's father's voice.

Not good.

"I got to hide." Danielle panicked. "No wait. Maybe they can help me. I can change into my human form and –"

She stopped, recalling the last time she pulled the 'third cousin once removed who ran away from home' card with Danny. There's no way his parents would buy it, or worse: they could attempt to call her non-existent parents like Danny tried.

With the horrible drawback of exposing her true identity, at the expense of Danny as well.

"Okay that's not an option." The footsteps grew louder as her heartbeat became faster.

"Alright, alright. You can do this Danielle. Just don't be threatening and be friendly. Proper etiquette. And they should be willing to help a ghost child in need."

She remained rooted where she stood, both in anxiety and whatever she bravery had. The large form covered in an orange jumpsuit that was Danny's father, entered the room. The man looked around before landing on Danielle, who locked gaze with him.

And there was silence. Until ...

"Um … Hi." She waved meekly with an awkward smile and several blinks.

…

…

"GHOST!" The man made a dive at the table of gadgets closest to him.

Danielle screamed in shock as her feet left the ground, floating away from the ghost hunter.

"Wait. Wait! I'm not here to hurt you!" Danielle begged.

"Baloney! You won't catch Jack Fenton off guard that easily. Now, en garde!" He pulled out the fishing rod, tangled.

The two stared dumbfounded at the weapon(?). Jack started unraveling the weapon(?), with much effort and unsuccessfully.

"Crud! Always. Happens! As soon as I untangle this, you're going down, Ghost Girl."

Danielle covered her mouth, stifling a chuckle at the sudden comical tone of the situation. "Yo-You know, you could just grab something else."

…

…

_Oops._

"Oh … right." Jack threw the fishing rod aside and grabbed a Fenton Pistol. "Now, reiterating myself: You're going down, Spook!"

Danielle facepalmed. "Oh poop." ' _You had to open your yap, Dani!'_

Jack pulled the trigger and fired several energy blasts … that all completely missed the floating ghost girl.

"This … is my uncle, right?" Danielle whispered to herself, awestruck. "Not exactly what I expected."

Then, a louder blaster shot echoed. Followed with a devastating shockwave from her right side, that threw her into the wall.

"Ow!" she hissed, keeping herself floating against the wall. She lifted her head to see who shot at her.

A woman in a full body blue hazmat suit with a large smoking bazooka over her shoulder stared dead at her.

"Go back to where you came from, you ectoplasmic manifestation of post-human consciousness!" she fired another shot.

This time, Danielle was able to dodge it.

"Hey! I'm not some ectoplasmic mani post whatever!" she yelled back. "And second: I have nowhere to go!"

"Then your other option is to get teared into a million different pieces!" Jack had a different weapon now. "Eat Fenton Peeler, you ghost!"

Danielle gaped at them. "You're kidding me!?"

What happened next was a one-sided onslaught (if you could call that even ...) between the trigger happy Fentons and the reluctant halfa who was dodging every blast. And with each maneuver, she felt the migraine return and vitality decreasing.

_'I … I can't keep this up. I got to get out of here!'_

Going intangible, she flew up through the ceiling.

"She's getting away! Jack, lockdown the building!" she ran for the stairs.

"On it, dear. Fenton Ghost Shield, on!" He pressed the big red button, causing the entire building to flash in red and loud alarms. "You won't escape that easy ghost. Now, for phase two ... securing the fridge!" He ran up.

* * *

Outside the Fenton building, a green barrier had erupted around it. A shield of energy that would stop any ghost from getting in or out.

Except when the ghost in question could go human.

Running away from the building as far as she could, Danielle ran around the corner of a building to catch her breath.

"That … could've ended better." The little girl fell back on the wall. Raking her hand through her hair in frustration, she clenched her teeth to unsuccessfully stop the rage that was trying to bellow out of her. "This is just great! I come back, and almost get killed for it! Wonderful! Danny, why do your parents have to be so … bullheaded!?"

Letting her frustration run, she did not feel her hand slide into the wall. She nearly screamed seeing her hand being melted against the concrete.

"No! No! NO!" she shrieked. Grabbing her melting arm, she closed her eyes and focused again. Feeling her hand slowly restore itself, Danielle pressed her forehead against the wall.

"Keep it together Danielle! You're strong, you've made it this far. You'll find Danny, he'll know what to do. Then he can help you find a cure or at the very least help you live long enough until you end up melting into a puddle of nothing but ectoplasm!"

She slammed her not melted fist against the wall, her knees giving up on her as they buckled and she fell to the ground. Not caring that the tears that was filling in her eyes broke through.

"I'm doomed!" she cried.

She laid there, sniffling under the pressure of the situation that was placed on her. No one was around to see her breakdown. Not a stranger, nor friend. Nor Danny.

If there was one thing that she missed and craved for during her entire freedom, it was human interaction. Especially from someone who loved her. How long has it been since she felt truly loved?

"Danny, please help me … please." Danielle begged for him to appear before her and to fall in his comforting arms, calming her with soothing words that everything would be alright.

No. She can't wallow in despair yet. Now was not the time to fall into her dreams. But to turn those dreams into reality.

Steadying her breathing, she rubbed her eyes away of the remaining tears and stood up. Slapping her cheeks with both hands, she snapped out of her stupor.

"Come on, Dani. No more crying." She turned to the opposite direction. "Okay, he's probably at school right now. Just got to fly there and get his attention."

Transforming into her ghost form, Danielle jumped … 3 inches off the ground.

She floated there, her form hunched and sweating at the slow pace she was going. Sighing in defeat, she gave up and transformed back.

"Or I can just walk. Walking's good. Saves a lot of energy."

* * *

Unknown to the drained halfa, a large figure stood on a rooftop at a safe distance away from her ghost sense. Turning visible, the figure revealed himself: a knight with extremely long purple hair and green eyes.

The ghost knight pulled out his communicator and pressed the button.

"Master Plasmius, I have my sights on the child clone." The knight spoke with a deep, strong voice.

The receiver was silent for a bit until he answered back.

 _"Danielle?"_ Came the posh voice of Vlad Masters. _"Well, well. She finally resurfaces. What is she doing?"_

The ghost knight watched the girl's hunched walking, and the direction she was heading. "Based on where she's heading, the child is walking in the direction of Casper High."

 _"Casper … she must be trying to reach Daniel …"_ Vlad sneered at the name.

"What are your orders?" The ghost knight waited for his master's command.

 _"Trail her, Fright Knight. We don't want to cause an uproar that could draw in the wrong attention. Especially young Daniel."_ Vlad spoke with caution. _"When you are in the clear, grab her."_

A howling neigh came. The hulking form of the Fright Knight's winged steed, the Nightmare, came flying to his side.

"As you command." Fright Knight ends the call, with eyes glowing in eagerness.


	2. Chapter Two: Fated Crossroads

**Chapter 2: Fated Crossroads**

_[Casper High, 8:58 AM]_

Danny Fenton stared at the clock. Mentally burning it with his half-lidded glare. Why couldn't the school clocks have a second hand to tell him how many more seconds were left before the next minute was over.

Two more minutes. He will be out of one class, and suffer five more hours of the same torture. On top of that tedium, he was failing at keeping his attention focused on Mr. Lancer's droning voice. Between his battle to keep his eyes open and stopping his head from just flat out giving up on him. Thanks to in no small part, being deprived of enough sleep.

That or the boredom. Either way, neither was helping.

This was really an endurance test at this point in his life.

"Before we end this class," Danny's ears perked in sudden interest at Mr. Lancer's words. "I would like to announce that I plan to hold a surprise test in the coming week."

At once, he and near everyone groaned. "Surprise test? We just had one two weeks ago! It's too early for another one!"

Mr. Lancer raised an unamused brow. "Having half a semester left is hardly the time to make things easy for us, Mr. Baxter. Especially if we want to keep on track with the course."

Dash angrily muttered about venting his anger from this. Something Danny caught with dread and misery.

"We have covered near most of geometry, so it would be fair at this point to make sure you understand the material before we can move onto the next subject. As such, a test would be a good motivator to ensure you all keep up to date."

Mr. Lancer paused to narrow his eyes, and then adding, "And, a chance for those of you to earn some extra marks to improve your final grade."

Danny sighed. At this point, he was (mostly) numb to Lancer's berating demeanor against him.

The bell rang. Finally. The students eagerly got up and left to prepare or enjoy their brief passing time before the next class begins. Danny sluggishly walked out, ignoring Lancer's narrowed stare from behind. He started walking to his locker, barely noticing his friends catching up to him.

"Well this week just got more daunting." Sam Manson started with disdain.

"Says you, some of us just so happen to be a few steps prepared for Lancer's surprise tests." Tucker Foley proudly proclaimed.

"Keyword: Some." Sam gestured. " _Some_ of us are a few steps behind the race." She grinned at Danny, who returned with an unamused expression.

"Ha, ha. Go ahead and poke your fun, why don't you." Danny uttered with indifference. Sam's face softened to a sympathetic smile.

"Have you been catching up, Danny?" she asked.

Danny gripped his forehead. "Barely. I think. There was another late-night ghost attack that took up my time. And I got me in trouble with my parents because of it."

"That bites." Tucker replied. "Who was it this time? Lunch Lady? Klemper? The Box Ghost?"

Danny shook his head. "Skulker."

"Yikes." Sam and Tucker reacted at the same time.

"And the worst part is, he seems even more snappy than usual." Reaching his locker, Danny started working on his lock. "On top of all that, I couldn't get enough sleep because I was nursing my bruises."

Finishing the combination, he pulled the lock off and opened his locker.

Just in time to have his face shoved in by a rough hand from behind.

"Star athlete tackling through, geeks." Dash announced, laughing along with the other A-Listers that trailed with him.

Danny pulled out, seething with a mix of frustration and annoyance.

"You okay, dude?" Tucker asked.

Danny rubbed his forehead. "The only thing left that I could get bruised is my ego at this point."

Sam placed a hand on his shoulder. She started reassuring him, "Chin up, Danny. You've spent one school year juggling ghosts and your life. And that was when you only had very little knowledge of your ghost powers. But now, this time is different. You know how things work. And you'll be able to come out stronger than before."

Danny smiled. "You really think so?"

"Or life decides to not make it easier for you. As it usually does." The two sent a deadpanned stare at Tucker's unnecessary logic. "Hey, can't rule that out." He retorted.

A cold chill suddenly ran through Danny, gasping out a familiar blue mist.

"Come on!" Danny complained. "Here? Really!?"

"Never a dull moment in your life, is it?" Sam joked.

Shoving his bag in his locker, Danny slammed the door shut and locked it. "If I don't make it back before class starts, standard excuse!" Danny ordered.

Tucker saluted. "Got it: At the John." Danny nodded and ran off with a refreshed vigor.

"… For a _long_ time."

Entering an empty classroom, Danny closed the door behind him and raised his arms up. He proudly announced his signature phrase.

"I'm going Ghost!"

* * *

_[Outside Casper High, 9:04 AM]_

A lone jogger was tiredly walking along the empty sidewalk. His hand holding onto the top of the fence on his right with heavy panting. Looking behind the fence and beyond the autumn trees, there was a bleacher and a football goal post in his sight. And just a few distance away, Casper High's main building.

"There's the school." He exulted. "Just got to get around the corner to the main building … I just need to bare this a little longer and –"

He stumbled, body falling forward. As his body briefly fell, the ghost girl that possessed him fell out of him, her front hitting the ground.

"Oooh," Danielle moaned. "I'm so close!"

Hearing groaning from behind, she tilted her head to see the jogger recovering his consciousness.

"Wha … What was that?" he mumbled.

Before she could think of going invisible, a blue chill escaped from her lips.

Danielle's heart plummeted. "Come on! Why does this day keep getting worse!?"

A large shadow enveloped over her. She looked up, her eyes widening.

Standing in front of her, mounted on a winged horse and purple flames glowing, was a hulking knight.

"Ghost!" the jogger screamed from behind. She could hear footsteps running in the opposite direction and the scream that echoed away.

The knight dismounted his ride, taking large steps toward her. Danielle pressed her hands on the ground, weakly pushing herself up. But she still couldn't stand.

"I must admit. You almost lost me, probably would've escaped altogether." He kneeled down before her, still imposing her with their height difference. "But you lack tact. It didn't take me a while to figure out you started overshadowing people. Yet to sense that you're being followed, especially when I was out of range from your ghost sense, that is quite commendable."

Danielle scoffed. Living on the lam involved being exposed in the open a lot, and the paranoia that comes from being vulnerable was second nature for her.

"It seems your ability to overshadow drains a lot of energy out of you. And yet you still risk it." The knight started to bring his hand down. "A foolish decision that exposes desperation. But shows a will to live."

Gritting her teeth, Danielle brought her hands out together and let out a sudden ghost ray. The blast landed square against his chest. Amplifying her power, the impact of the ghost ray caused her to fly back from her chaser.

Skidding to a stop on her back, she quickly propped herself up with her elbow. The blast left some smoke from the armor. But the knight barely looked like he got hurt from it.

The knight stood up, brushing dust off and the smoke away. "A valiant effort, but you should save yourself the ordeal by surrendering yourself to me." He started walking toward her.

"Leave me alone!" Danielle yelled.

The knight's green eyes glowed, energy seeping as his voice bellowed.

" _Listen to me child"_

" _Your drive is admirable"_

" _But it's time to yield"_

Unwavering from his speech, Danielle growled. "How about you cut me a break! I'm only 12!"

The knight stopped, clenching his fists. "Child. This is not up for debate!"

He lunged forward. Instinctively, Danielle went intangible. Causing more of her vitality to drop. She went through the ground, just before his hand reached her.

* * *

"Grr!" The Fright Knight punched the ground where the girl had been. "You can't make it far, child! You're just delaying the inevitable."

A blast came behind. Barely able to fully turn, the Fright Knight was hit by a bigger and far stronger ghost ray.

"Gah!" He stumbled back from the attack. Shaking his head, he stared up at his attacker.

"Fright Knight!? What is this, a belated Halloween prank?"

Floating above him was a figure wearing that black hazmat suit with his signature logo. The 'other' white-haired halfa.

"Phantom!" He pointed his finger at the ghost boy. "I have no quarrel with you. Leave now, and we can carry on without making a scene."

"Sorry flaming bedsheets. But this is one officer you can't bribe!" Danny Phantom's hands glowed with green energy. He rained ghost rays upon him.

The Fright Knight unsheathed his Soul Shredder and took flight, dodging and deflecting the ghost rays. Shortening the distance between them, he swung his sword. Phantom dodged it, floating back at a safer distance from him.

"What happened with you after that whole Pariah incident? What's going on with you and Plasmius?" Phantom demanded.

The Fright Knight narrowed his eyes. "Nothing but business. Which is none of your concern!"

"What? Working with that crazed fruitloop is better than serving the Ghost King?"

The Fright Knight raised his sword, glowing with energy. He lunged forward with a battle cry.

* * *

She didn't know how long she was passing through the ground. Her mind was starting to fizzle, slowly breaking her concentration. She couldn't keep up with her intangibility any longer.

Resurfacing, the drained ghost girl laid on the cold concrete. Her eyes gazing at a brick wall, with no strength to even turn in another direction. She tried to push, stand, even float.

She couldn't.

Whatever vitality she had remaining was gone at this point. Her eyes started to blur. Her arm that laid beside her started to dissolve into that terrifying green liquid. Yet, there was no fear on the girl's face.

Only sorrow.

"I … I guess this is it for me." She could feel the right side of her face, that was pressed on the ground, start to go wet and slowly sink.

' _It's not fair.'_

Whoever thought of that saying: so close, yet so far. Whoever invented that, Danielle wished they got hit in the head for making her learn that stupid phrase. She probably would be feeling less miserable if that line didn't exist.

' _If I can't have my reality … just let me … dream.'_

Her already blurry vision grew more obscure and diluted as her eyes watered. No longer caring, she closed her eyes, letting the tears stream down to the forming green puddle.

"I'm … sorry …" she weakly stuttered. Her sight growing blank, mind going dark as darkness started crawling around her image of his smiling face.

"Dan … ny …" she croaked out the last word, through cold breath.

…

…

It was warm.

She could feel warmth radiate around her.

A voice entered her dulling ears.

"… _ey … ay … ith … me …"_

The words were incomprehensible. But that voice. It sounded …

Nice.

Opening her eyes half-lidded, her vision was stilled blurred. But she saw it.

There was a face looking down on her, face blocked in shadows with a light behind them.

A very bright blue light.

Some of her senses returning, she could feel that she was in the arms of the figure. With what little strength she recovered, she reached her arms out. Grabbing what felt like skin, Danielle pulled herself closer to the figure. Her arms wrapped around with her body lying against the figure.

"… so … warm." She felt happy.

She smiled, nuzzling further into the warm surface. Feeling the last of her strength leaving her, along with her consciousness. Before she finally went to sleep, she was able to mutter,

"… my … angel …"

* * *

"… aahhhh!" Danny freefell into the empty football field, creating a small crater as the dust clears.

"Yah!" Danny's eyes snapped open to see the descending Fright Knight with his sword raised for a downward thrust.

He flipped back, dodging the attack and putting distance between them. The impact from the large foe's landing caused the initial crater to grow five times its size.

Danny charged another ball of energy and fired a large ghost ray with two hands. The attack landed its mark with the Fright Knight being knocked back by the ray. But not enough to push him off his feet, managing to balance himself from the attack. The knight recovered from the first assault to see Danny quickly closing the distance with a charged fist.

"Ahh!" The Fright Knight's eyes widened as he was sent flying a small distance from the punch. Landing on his back, sending more dust in the air.

His energy dissipating, Danny was slouching with heavy breathing but still at the ready for another round. The Fright Knight stood back up without any sign of fatigue or visible injuries.

"I see you've gotten stronger from what you were in the past," The knight brought his sword up to his face and swung sideways, with the force slicing the air and dust, "but compared to me, that threshold is still vast!"

Danny rolled his eyes at the added drama. "You know, I'd so love to prove you wrong on that. What say … we even the playing field: you fight me without that sword. And I'll show just how far I've come." He strikes a pose, fingers beckoning at his foe.

The Fright Knight's eyes turned upward, amused. "Ha! Ha! Surely you jest." Eyes returning to its serious demeanor, raising his sword at Danny. "A knight without his sword? Why not throw in the Box Ghost without any boxes?"

"It'd sure make it easier for the both of us." Danny deadpanned.

The knight reared his sword back, energy covered its blade. With a ferocious battle cry, he swung –

" _Fright Knight! Report!"_

He stopped mid-swing, eyes widening at the incoming call. "Master Plasmius!" With his left hand, he brought the communicator up, turning away from his opponent and weapon resting by his side.

Danny, who had his guard up for the incoming attack, raised his brows at the ghost's sudden heel turn. Narrowing his eyes, he charged another ghost ray and fired with a smirk.

' _Your guard is down!'_

Only for the knight to swing his sword almost half-heartedly, and redirecting the blast back to a wide-eyed Danny.

"Gaaaahhhh! …" And the screaming halfa was sent flying.

"Apologies." The knight continued. "I have lost the target. Phantom got in the way." Some distance away, a thud could be heard and screaming stopped.

" _You LOST HER!?"_ Vlad screeched. _"Oh, sugar biscuits! We don't need anymore unnecessary skirmishes. Fallback, immediately!"_

The Fright Knight nodded. "Understood, Plasmius."

Sheathing his sword, the Nightmare came into view descending from the sky. Approaching the ground, the winged horse galloped on the grass to his master. The Fright Knight jumped onto the saddle without stopping his steed. He closed in on the recovering Ghost Boy, stopping a few feet away from him.

"Gh-ugh…" Danny rose on his elbows.

"I shall spare you a moment of reprieve, with your head intact until the next time, it will be mine to cleave."

"Yeah? Well get in line. Skulker already called dibs." Danny plainly responded.

"Hmph. We shall settle this another day, Phantom!" Reeling back, his steed stood on its hindlegs and neighed loudly. The horse and his rider turned and galloped away, taking flight and disappearing into the sky.

The surviving halfa stood back up, collecting his bearings as he wiped the dirt off his hair.

"Well, so much for getting answers. But at least that ended quick –"

Another chill escaped his lips. He groaned at the second ghost sense.

"Oh great. Who's next?" In annoyance, his feet changed into a ghost tail and he flew upward. Reaching a high enough altitude, the Ghost Boy floated as he examined the school's surroundings with a bird's eye view.

"Alright you spook. Make this easy for me and show me where you … are …"

His words were lost. His eyes widened, heart stopped, and lips dried when a familiar red beanie, black hair, and blue hoodie came into his sight. And to his horror, the ghost that was carrying her.

His green eyes glowed in anger. He bolted toward the exposed ghost. His tail changing back to feet as he landed on the pavement in front of them with a slam, cracking the concrete below him.

He pointed a ghost ray with his left hand. His eyes narrowed at the ghost who was carrying his cousin.

"Let her go, Ember!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks to those who took an interest so far.


	3. The Warm Diva

**Chapter Three: The Warm Diva**

_[Outside Casper High, 9:10 AM]_

The blue-haired rocker was about ready to yank the dipstick's head off for making her nearly drop the kid with that entrance.

If this were any other day, she'd be glaring back at him, ready to shred some noise for their next fight. Sadly, the rational side reminded her there was a more important matter to deal with.

Recovering from the ghost boy's angry remark, Ember McLain gave him a restrained look of displeasure.

"Nice to see you too." She replied with contempt.

Danny stood up, energized hand still pointing at her.

"The feeling's not mutual." He snapped. "Now hand her over."

Ember rolled her eyes.

"Smart idea, you boob. Aim with the kid in front of me." She said cheekily.

The smirk that threatened to form on her face was suppressed into a small grin when she saw his hand wavering at the realization of her words.

The energy in his hand disappeared, now clutched into a shaking fist. His eyes still holding their livid gaze at her.

"Give her back!" Danny lunges.

Ember floated off the ground, moving away before Danny reached her. Turning at her direction with a growing anger, Danny pounced again. And Ember flew to the side to avoid him again.

For the next three minutes or so, the two enemies would be engaged in a one-sided game of keep away. Between Danny's violent lunges that were met with Ember's graceful maneuvers, it looked almost juvenile.

Had Danny not engaged with the Fright Knight earlier, he probably would've kept this up for a little longer. Sadly, for him, the adrenaline that was keeping him going after Ember was slowly starting to run on fumes.

The following result of the chase was clear.

"You done throwing a fit?"

The response she got was a tired growl from the panting halfa. Danny was on his knees, taking in heavy breathes. His eyes still held the anger that was directed at the undeterred ghost siren who floated a small distance away from him.

Ember sighed. This stopped being entertaining for her after the twentieth lunge. This was just sad now. She floated back to the ground.

"Easy, babypop. I'm not here to start a fight."

Danny watched her turn away to walk to a tree close by. The anger slowly leaving him, leaving an expression that told her he was still unconvinced.

"If I really wanted to take the kid, I would've been long gone by now." Ember sat down against the tree, not minding that her guitar that was strapped on her back was pressed against the bark. Not that it was a big deal, her guitar's very durable.

Her attention was focused on the ghost girl in her arms. She softly cradled the sleeping child. "After I found her, I was planning to go get your attention."

Catching his composure, Danny stood back up and walked to her.

"Why would you?" he doubted.

Ember stared at her gloved hand with mild interest. "Oh, I don't know…" She made a motion toward Danielle with an incredulous face. "How about the fact she's a halfa? And the spitting image of you if you were a girl!?"

Danny stopped, eyes widening at her statement. "How do you know –"

"She's a halfa?" Ember interrupted with her answer. "I saw her change from ghost to human. The poor kid was exhausted."

Danny gaped at those words. His eyes staring at the unconscious girl. Any anger that remained in him was replaced with worry for his cousin. "What happened to her?"

Ember shrugged. "I don't know. But …"

Danny saw the arms holding Danielle tighten when Ember paused. She looked almost like she saw something frightening.

He gulped. "But what?"

Ember's lips moved in disgust before answering, "… I saw her melting."

"Melting!?" Danny screamed.

Ember nodded. "Like an ice cube made of ectoplasm."

Silence filled between them. Danny was comprehending what Ember had just told him while Ember was waiting for a response from him. When he still held that shocked face, she decided to further explain.

"She's not melting now. When I got to her, she stopped and returned to normal. It seems she's fine now."

The worry on Danny's face did not leave. Ember just stared at him, deep in thought.

Between their identical appearances and the dipstick's protective nature over her, there was obviously a connection between the two. Whatever that was, she was very curious to figure out.

"What's this kid to you?"

Danny had a look of conflict on his face, probably debating on whether to tell her the truth. Made sense, considering the tense animosity between them.

"She's my cousin." He simply answered.

…

…

…

"… And?"

Danny raised a brow at Ember's plain response. He folded his arms. "And what?"

Ember narrowed her eyes in an unamused glare. "There's clearly more you're not telling me, dipstick. Like, where has this girl been? Why is this the first time I'm seeing her? And more importantly, why was she melting!?"

"What makes you think I'll tell you of all people?" Danny retorted.

"Do I look like I'm trying to do anything bad right now!?" Ember countered. "The few times I decide to do something nice, you go defensive just because I actually care."

The two stared at each other with equal disdain, until Danny was the first to look away. Lowering his head, eyes turning away from her with an uncomfortable expression.

"It's complicated…"

More silence filled between them. Ember knew that this was going no where and at an unproductive pace. She closed her eyes, irritation seeping out from her face at where she decided they should go from here.

"Okay, this is clearly going to involve a lot of talking." Ember stood back up, keeping a secure hold on the girl. "We'll continue this later."

Danny stared at her with confusion and disbelief. "Later? What do you mean!?" he demanded.

"Shouldn't you be in school?" Ember pointed at the building.

Danny blinked. He turned between the school and Ember. His face transitioned between realization, trepidation, and fierce denial.

"That … that's irrelevant right now!" Danny deflected.

Ember raised a brow. "Really? Is this worth getting in trouble?"

"And what?" Danny pointed at her. "Just leave her with you!?"

This back and forth was getting tiring. Ember closed her eyes, breathing in to calm herself. _'I hate being the mature one.'_ She opened her eyes, softening her expression.

"I won't hurt her."

Danny's face turned to confusion at her proclamation.

"Don't get me wrong: I still _loathe_ you." She sent a smug grin at him. "In fact, I came here to mess with you before I saw her."

Danny reacted with furrowed brows and a glare.

"But I'm not so evil to use this child for underhanded means. I have standards, dipstick." She said proudly.

She walked away from the tree, approaching closer to Danny. "I'll have her rest up at my place and watch over her. You can pick her up when you're done with school."

"What makes you think I'll let you?" Danny said with little venom in his voice now.

"Hm, if memory serves, the last couple of minutes prove otherwise. And I literally hold all the cards here." Ember countered.

"Besides, have you thought over what you plan to do?" Ember stared seriously at him. "Say I hand her over, what will you do after? Are you going to skip school to take care of her? Without raising suspicions? What's your excuse for missing more of school?"

Finishing her speech of questions, Danny's mouth was agape. His mind overriding with different answers for rebuttal against Ember's onslaught of logic. But he came out empty.

It takes a lot for the hero to admit his submission to someone else. Especially when that someone was an enemy.

"Fine." Danny admitted.

Ember smiled. "Took you long enough. Now, remember where we first met?"

Danny studied her. "At the school?"

"Huh?" Ember blinked in confusion.

Danny ruffled his hair, pointing to the empty street. "You know? That debut stunt you pulled in front of the school."

Ember mouthed an 'oh', remembering her debut. "I don't even remember seeing you." She replied. "I'm talking about that music store."

"That music mega store?"

"Ding-ding-ding! We have a wiener." Danny rolled his eyes at her teasing.

"When you're done with school, meet me on the roof. We'll continue this discussion from there." She instructed.

"In the meantime, I'll take care of your little cousin." She rubbed her back. Her eyes softening when the little tyke let out a soft sigh.

"What's her name?"

Danny, who had been watching and noticing Ember's behaviour around Danielle, also softened his gaze at the ghost diva.

' _I've never seen this side of her before. Maybe she does care about Danielle.'_ Unnoticed to him, his lips formed a small smile from watching Ember actually showing a soft side.

"Danielle." He answered. "She likes to go by Dani, with an 'I'."

Ember switched gaze between him and her. "Dani," she said out loud. "… what a coincidence. But fitting." She smiled.

Her ponytail started to act out a bit.

"Oh, and I'd rather this be a one-on-one thing, if you will. No friends, no tricks, none of your weird ghost weapons. Just you. And don't you dare tell anyone this happened between us. I rather not have ghosts or people think we're chummy with each other."

Danny frowned at her added demand. "Paranoid much?"

Ember sent him a stern look. "Give me your word that you'll come by yourself."

Danny sighed, hands up in surrender. "Fine. You have my word."

"Good." Ember smirked. "See you later, babypop."

Blue flames circled around her, surrounding and enveloping the two girls. In seconds, the flames dispersed, with both ghost girls gone. Leaving Danny alone in the schoolyard.

Danny let out an exhausted groan, changing out of his ghost form. His nerve was making him go on edge over the possibility of a backstab from her. Or what she could do to Dani.

"I hope you're being real with me, Ember."

He took his phone out. 9:19 AM was the time.

"Great." Danny glared at his phone. "How am I going to explain being twenty minutes late?"

* * *

_[Ghost Zone, 9:22 AM]_

The instant she materialized in her realm, Ember let her back, with her guitar, fall against her front door. She sighed, letting herself get a breather from having to teleport at a long distance twice in one day. When she left the dipstick, she had to teleport to his house and get through the portal. All the while avoiding his parent (not too hard). Once she was through the portal, she was able to teleport into her home.

Collecting herself, Ember walked to her living room and laid Danielle on the couch. She pulled her guitar off of her and walked to her bedroom to fetch a pillow and blanket for Danielle.

As she carried with her task, her mind rewound to everything that had happened so far today.

* * *

_How she initially went to the dipstick's school to draw him out, vent some frustration, maybe get a kick from messing with him._

_She was about ready to draw him out when she saw the Fright Knight flying around the area. The two of them were on neutral terms more or less, but she knew when to stay out of another ghost's business. Which is why when she saw the dipstick fighting with Fright Knight, she was a bit peeved that she couldn't have a go yet._

_While she was watching, she turned her eyes away from the fight for a small moment when she saw an unusual bright green on the ground catching her attention._

_She floated down and was shellshocked in terror at the sight of the melting ghost girl. It was almost instinctual on her part. She ran up to the child, calling out to her to wake up. When she touched her, the melting stopped. And to her surprise and relief, the child reformed._

_What really shocked Ember was when the ghost child transformed into a human form, showing a face that looked so much like her enemy._

_The situation before her presented a great opportunity to be used for anyone's advantage against the halfa._

_But not for Ember. Not after what she saw._

_She picked up the child, surprised at how light she was. Then, the child pulled herself closer to her. Ember froze at that action. The girl's voice came out, saying how warm she felt. How she smiled, content in her arms. And her last words came._

"… _my … angel."_

_There was some weird irony in her words. She was far from an angel. Heck, she wouldn't even go that far to call herself that._

_And yet, something in Ember melted when those words came. Her hair flared up ever so slightly in reaction. Right then, Ember's conscious told her she had to help this girl. Which meant, reluctantly confronting the dipstick._

_After that, said dipstick crash landed in front of her. And, everything else happened._

* * *

"Mmh …"

Ember snapped out of her thoughts when the little tyke started waking. Danielle's eyes squinted open.

"Wha … where am I?" she weakly asked.

Ember immediately shot off her chair and was by her side. "Easy, kid. You're at my place." She grabbed the cup of water she prepared off the coffee table. "Here, take a sip."

She helped the little halfa sit up, positioning the cup close to her lips. Taking a small sip, the child's eyes widened a little. She brought her hands up, taking the cup from Ember and downing the entire beverage. Finishing with a content sigh.

"Feeling better?" Ember took the empty cup away.

Danielle rubbed her forehead. "Yeah, a lot. Thank –"

Danielle went silent when she turned her head to Ember.

"… blue hair …" she whispered, eyes widening further. "It's you! The angel!" Danielle pointed with excitement.

Remembering the last time she called her that, Ember was reminded of the irony in that statement. An amused smile formed over her lips. Danielle, on the other hand, seemed to have realized she said that out loud. Her cheeks turned red, probably in embarrassment.

"I … I mean …"

Ember chuckled, deciding to save the girl from her building awkwardness. "Flattered. But I like to think of myself more of a rebel."

Danielle tilted her head in confusion at that remark. "Rebel? … Wait, are you a ghost?"

Ember raised a brow with a smirk. "Don't let that spook ya." Seeing the girl could support herself, Ember put the cup on the table and stood back up.

"And yeah, I know you're a halfa. So don't try to hide it."

Danielle looked lost. "A-And you helped me?"

Ember sat back down on her chair. "I sure did. And proud of it."

There was a cross of inner conflict in Danielle's eyes. Like she couldn't believe something. "Why?"

Ember grimaced. "Why? What kind of question is that? I saw a little girl melting into a puddle! You think I'd just stand there and let that happen?"

Danielle recoiled back. Ember gritted her teeth, mentally cursing herself for being too aggressive in her remark. Danielle brought her knees to her, curling up in a little ball.

"But why …" she whispered with confusion and disbelief, "… almost every ghost I met either want nothing to do with me, pick a fight, or kidnap me. I don't understand…"

Ember's eyes softened. Even if she didn't know much about her, the fact she said that painted some impressions about what this child's been through. And add the fact she looks near identical to the dipstick, some of his enemies probably put it together to try and use her against him. At least, that's her assumption.

"I'm guessing you've never been around a lot of ghosts." Danielle nodded in her arms. Ember reached out to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Kid, not all ghosts are evil. I'm far from an angel. I hate adults and have my … issues, so to speak …" Ember trailed off for a brief moment. But she stopped herself from digging deeper into that well, and focused back on the matter at hand.

"But you're just a child, why would I turn the other way when you need help. I'm not completely heartless you know."

A sniffling noise came from her arms. Danielle's eyes looked up at her, trying hard not to sob and looking almost ashamed.

"I … I'm sorry." Danielle croaked.

Ember patted her shoulder gently. "Eh, water under the bridge. Let's start over." She reached a hand out.

"Name's Ember. Ember McLain. And don't you forget it."

Danielle wiped her eyes on her sleeve, returning the gesture with a small smile.

"I'm Danielle. You can call me Dani, that's Dani with an 'I'. It's nice to meet you, Ember."

The two shook hands. "Likewise, Babydip."

Danielle raised a brow. "Babydip? Is that some kind of nickname?"

"Mm-hmm. It suits you."

Danielle glowered. "Well I don't like it."

"Well, tough." Ember stuck her tongue out. "I like it. So, it's sticking around, Baby-Dip."

Danielle's cheeks reddened. "Then I'll … I'll call you … Bluey Two-Shoes!"

Ember laughed, putting the back of her hand over her forehead dramatically. "Ouch! Oh no! The humiliation~!" she shot a grin at Danielle. "You still have a long way if you want to get under my skin."

Dani folded her arms with a pout. Ember smiled proudly.

Seeing the atmosphere between them turning comfortable, Ember decided it was time to get done to business.

"Anyway, I want to ask you something, Babydip."

Danielle turned back to her. "Yeah?"

"It's not everyday I see a little ghost girl, much less a halfa, melting on the school grounds." Ember's face turned serious. "What happened?"

Danielle looked down at her shoes. "It's … It's a long story."

"My schedule's empty." Ember rested further into her chair, arms folded. "If you don't want to tell me, I get it. Personal stuff, that's fine. Just omit all that. But the fact you were melting, is very concerning."

Danielle looked back at Ember's serious yet concerning demeanor. Even if she helped her, Ember was still a stranger to her. Yet, she does show genuine concern for her well-being.

Perhaps, perhaps not all ghosts were bad.

"O … Okay. I trust you Ember." Ember gave an encouraging smile. Danielle turned to sit properly on the couch.

"You know a man named Vlad Masters?" Danielle started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm thinking of doing another FanFic for a different fandom. Out of curiosity to experiment things. But that would involve putting more obligations on myself. So on the fence about that.


	4. A Truce

**Chapter Four: A Truce**

_[Casper High, 3:00 PM]_

The bell rang, finally signaling the end of another school day. Danny had packed his belongings a minute before the ring and was the first one out the classroom, not caring for the eyes that stared at his rapid behavior. He hurriedly opened his locker to grab what he needed before he could leave.

"Someone's eager to get out of here." Sam caught up to him.

"You have no idea." Danny continued shoving several papers worth of schoolwork in his bag.

"Dude, I know you want to get out of here but slow down a bit." Tucker was watching his erratic behavior with surprise. "You wanna grab a snack at the Nasty Burger?"

Danny thrust his previous class's textbook into the locker. "I'm going to need a rain check on that. I just want to go straight home right now."

"Really, man? We just endured another dull day of torture. Let's enjoy ourselves for a bit." Tucker encouraged.

"I don't have time for that!"

His friends flinched back with wide eyes at his sudden burst of anger. Immediate regret at allowing his frustration to overwhelm him, Danny took a moment to breathe.

"Sorry." He apologized. "I'm just overwhelmed and exhausted with everything going on right now."

Tucker recovered with a sympathetic face. "You looked like you were on edge after you came back."

"Because there's so much that happened and might happen later. I have all this school work to go through." Danny slammed his locker shut. "And fighting the Fright Knight did nothing to make me feel better. I just want to go home and take a nap."

"Yeah, you probably need it." Sam agreed.

Danny gave his friends another apologetic face. "Sorry guys, another time?"

Sam and Tucker smiled.

"All good, buddy." Tucker pointed with a wink. "Get your rest."

Sam patted his shoulder. "Just take it easy, Danny. Okay?"

Danny smiled, mentally thankful his friends for being understanding.

After exchanging farewells, he sneaked into an empty classroom and silently transformed into his ghost form. Turning invisible and intangible, Danny Phantom flew out of the school and headed to the meeting point.

He held his end of deal: He kept out the meeting with Ember and Danielle when he told his friends what happened when he returned. As far as his friends knew, the Fright Knight was the only ghost he encountered.

Throughout the rest of the school day, he was a mess of anxious thoughts, impatience, and anticipation. He barely restrained himself from just ditching school for the day and dealing with the consequences.

But Ember's words were a reminder of what could go wrong if he went through with it.

And that was another thing that bugged him the entire day. He couldn't tell if it was her logic or the fact he placed a potentially premature amount of trust in her. Maybe both. But there was a conflict stirring in him between Ember's genuine behavior with Danielle and the fact he and her were enemies.

He didn't know how this would turn out or what would happen between them. But at this point as he was flying, he decided to just go with the flow of things.

Whatever will happen, he will respond as he should.

Minutes passed by as he flew, the Music Mega Store was coming into view. Flying higher, Danny spotted a familiar blue wave of flames on the store's rooftop. But no sign of his cousin.

He braced himself. "Alright Ember. Let's see you hold your end of this."

Danny floated down. The ghost diva's form coming into view. She was sitting against one of the air conditioners, strumming her guitar strings quietly with strong concentration. As he got closer, Ember stopped and looked up with an expected look.

"What up, dipstick?"

Danny landed a few feet away from her. Arms crossed and eyes stern. "Cut to the chase, Ember. Where's Danielle?"

Ember stood up, guitar in hand. "She's back at my realm, which is where we'll be heading."

Danny narrowed his eyes. His frustration did not faze Ember who placed a hand on her hip.

"What? Never been at a girl's place before?" she teased.

Danny was not in the mood for their usual witty banter.

"Don't flatter yourself. You make me come all the way here, only to say we're going to your realm. Smells like a trap."

"Oh, how I would love that." A brief smile came and went as she turned serious. "But you're off the mark, I'm doing this for Babydip."

That made his face go soft. "Babydip?"

Ember shrugged. "She's a little version of you. Seems fitting."

"She's only two years younger than me." Danny deadpanned.

"Still little in my eyes." Ember smiled cheekily.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Whatever floats your boat."

He was curious about what she meant, "What do you mean, that you're doing this for Danielle?"

That serious face of hers returned. "She told me everything."

His eyes widened.

"Who she is, Vlad, how you two met, why she's melting, what happened to her. I know it all. And after hearing everything she said, I knew: If I brought her here, she'd be out in the open and vulnerable. Keeping her hidden at my place would be safer for her."

Danny's jaw dropped, not expecting both Danielle's willingness to open up to her and Ember's decision for Danielle's sake. "Wow. Didn't expect you to go that far."

Ember laughed derisively. "Don't _you_ start flattering me, dipstick. We haven't even gotten to the meat of this yet."

That sounded like something he would not be looking forward toward.

"Joy." Danny sarcastically replied. "So, we heading there now?"

Ember's smile grew. "Glad to see you finally agree with me. Be grateful that you get invited to come into my realm."

"I'd sooner go back to Vlad's place." Danny muttered out of her earshot. "So how are we getting there?"

"We just need to get through your portal and I'll take care of the rest." Ember let go her of guitar. It floated off the ground with its back facing up for her to plant her feet on it.

"Try to keep up, if you can."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"

Ember smirked. "Depends if you want it to be. You up for a race, dipstick?"

Admittedly Danny was still stressed from everything that happened from last night to the entire school day. Ember's goading for competition was a tempting offer to vent out in a non-violent way.

And boy, did he need something to take it out on.

"You're on!"

* * *

_[Fenton Works, 3:19 PM]_

Unaware to the little number of people that walked by Fenton Works, a flash of black and white dashed onto the rooftop. Followed closely by a blur of blue and purple.

"I win!" Danny declared, turning to a _very_ upset Ember. "Who can't keep up with who now?"

Ember's eyes flashed red for a moment before returning to their original green. "Keep rubbing it in, if you want your hair scorched." She dismounted from her guitar.

"You're the one who offered the challenge. Reap what you sow, rock star." Danny taunted.

Ember turned away with a glower. "Let's just get to the portal already."

She turned intangible and sunk through the roof. Danny smirked proudly before following her.

Danny dropped his backpack in his room before the two made their way to the basement without alerting his parents. When Danny opened the portal, Ember was quick to get through the portal and away from the basement full of ghost weapons. Danny followed her into the eerie, green and black ectoplasmic skies that was the Ghost Zone.

"So, where to?"

Ember reached a hand out to him.

"Hold my hand, and I'll teleport us there."

Danny gave her a questionable look. "You can't just teleport us from the rooftop?"

"I don't have the power to teleport between worlds. That's out of my range." Ember admitted.

"Probably a good thing." Danny said aloud.

Ember's hair flared up with a grumpy face. "Just give me your hand, dipstick."

A brief moment of hesitation came and went before Danny took Ember's hand in his. Ember closed her eyes. Her hair started expanding around them. The skies of the Ghost Zone were replaced with a sphere blue flames that spun rapidly. This also had the effect of generating a lot of heat that was suddenly making Danny feel stuffy.

* * *

_[Ember's Realm, 3:21 PM]_

The wall of flames broke apart almost immediately as it was formed. And the surroundings changed from the ectoplasmic sky of the Ghost Zone to what looked like a living room. The instant change of scenery and intense heat from the flames was a very nauseous experience for Danny.

Danny's body started to fall back from the experience. Tightening his grip on Ember's hand, Danny steadied himself to keep standing upright.

"That's going to make my head spin." He rubbed his forehead.

"Danny!"

His eyes shot up at that familiar voice. There, standing over the purple couch was the happy face of his cousin in her ghost form.

"Dani!" The nausea forgotten, Danny let go of Ember's hand and ran to Danielle who flew right into his open arms.

The hug the two shared was of equal affection with differing action. Danny's arms were secured around Danielle in a tender hold. Like she was the most delicate thing in the world. While Danielle was off the ground as she hugged Danny with a strong grip around his chest. Like this would be the last time she would see him.

"You really came." Danielle said, looking up to his equally green eyes.

Danny sent an affectionate smile. "Of course, I would. You've been on my mind all day." He rubbed her hair, giving an apologetic look. "I'm sorry I couldn't be with you sooner."

"And I oughta kick your butt for letting someone take me away." Danielle's patronising expression shifted to a more understanding softness. "But Ember told me what happened."

"Did she do anything?" Danny immediately questioned.

Danielle shook her head. "We just talked. She's been nothing but nice with me."

Danny chuckled. "That's the statement of the year."

"Keep that up and I'll just show you how bad I can get, dipstick."

He rolled his eyes at her warning. But paid no heed to return the banter. Danielle nuzzled her face on his chest.

"I missed you." She confessed quietly.

Danny held her closer. "So did I."

A sob came. Danny looked down at the white hair that was obscuring her face. "When I got to your school and started to melt, I … I thought that was the end for me …" Her sobbing grew louder and her breathing hitches. "I tho-thought I won't _***sniff***_ get t-to see you again."

"You don't have to worry about that anymore. We're together right now." Danny cooed. One arm hugging her while the other gently held her head.

He stood there holding his cousin while she cried in relief. He turned his head slightly to see Ember disappearing into another room, probably giving the two their moment. He felt grateful that the rocker ghost had the decency to give them some space.

The sobbing died down and the two stood there in silence for a brief moment until Danny asked her.

"You feeling better?"

Danielle looked up, eyes red and still wet. But she smiled. "Yeah."

Danny walked over to the couch, finally letting go of her as they both made themselves comfortable on the furniture.

"I bet you have a lot of questions, don't you?" Danielle prepared herself.

Danny frowned, remembering why they were here. "Danielle, what happened?"

Danielle let out a sigh before beginning her story.

"My destabilization returned yesterday after I fought this beast ghost. I flied back to Amity Park as fast as I could to get your help. By the time I got to your house, you were already at school. And then …"

She looked away awkwardly. Danny just watched her as he waited her to continue.

"… and then I got kicked out by your parents."

Danny jerked forward in shock. "My parents? What do you mean by 'kicked out'?"

Danielle scratched her head in embarrassment. "Let's just say, I was a little naïve to think they could help a ghost kid in need."

"They didn't shoot at you, did they?" Danny knew the answer but had to ask.

"That's another thing!" Danielle pointed an accusation finger at Danny. "You should really talk to your parents about their trigger happiness."

"Danielle!"

"It's all good, Danny! I didn't get hurt, for the most part. And I didn't fire back. I got away." She quickly reassured him.

"That's not the issue." Danny argued incredulously.

"Just drop it, dipstick." Ember re-entered with a tray carrying three glasses of water.

"The kid isn't hurt and didn't fight your parents. No harm done on either end, which is all you could really ask for." She placed the tray on the table and sat on the chair.

Danny slapped his hand over his face in agitation. "Oh, forget it. We'll deal with that opened can of worms later. What happened next?" He moved his hand to see Danielle send a thankful smile at Ember before focusing back on him.

"I got to your school. But on my way, I felt like I was being followed. By some ghost knight on a flying horse." Danielle stopped to take a sip of water.

Danny tensed. "The Fright Knight?"

Danielle nodded. "Yeah, that's what Ember called him too."

Fright Knight and Danielle showing up at Casper High. Suddenly the pieces were coming together, to form a very nerve-wracking picture of their situation.

"So that's why the Fright Knight appeared at the school. And the fact he's working with Vlad –"

Danielle choked on her water. Clearing her throat quickly, she looked back at Danny bug-eyed.

"Wait! That ghost knight works for Vlad!?" She turned to Ember, demanding something from her instead of Danny.

Ember shrugged. "Don't look at me. I didn't even know the two of them were in cahoots till now."

Danny explained. "I'm pretty sure they struck a deal after that entire Pariah Dark fiasco. And I still don't know what that fruitloop is up to."

"Pariah what?" Danielle tilted her head.

"Man, you have a lot to catch up on, Babydip." Ember joshed. "Long story short: Ghost King, army invasion, sealed away now. Not a threat anymore."

That did not clear the look of confusion on her face, but a history lesson was far from the concern at present.

"The bigger concern right now is the Fright Knight knows you're here, then there's a huge chance Vlad knows as well."

Danny's words painted a complete realization of her predicament.

"And he'll not stop to get me. Even coming here if he has to." Danielle finished in quiet fear.

Danny's face was determined, putting a comforting hand on Danielle's shoulder. "I'm not going to let that happen. I promise." He announced without any hesitation.

"Can you really?"

Danny glared at the third wheel of this group. "You're not helping."

Ember folded her arms, matching his glare with her own.

"Believe me, babypop. When I learned everything, I wanted nothing more than to go knock that Dracula wannabe jerk down a peg. But I'd be stupid to just go in there like that."

Somewhere in Danny's mind, he found that Dracula jab amusing. Not that he would admit it.

"I don't know this Vlad Masters or Vlad Plasmius personally. But just what I know from others, it sounds like he has the money and resources to match your parents in ghost tech. Probably even more.

"Then there's the fact he's a halfa and has more experience with his powers than you. And add the fact he has ghosts like Skulker and the Fright Knight in his corner, he's got you outclassed in a lot of areas."

Thrice in one day, he found himself at the end of another onslaught of logic from this ghost rebel with a mix of annoyance and impressed. This time though, he was not going to have her end on the high note.

"Since when did you think things through?" he queried.

Ember motioned her arms wildly. "Hello~ You forgot who you're talking to here? I plan out a lot of my schemes."

"And look where that got you." Danny shot a grin.

Unamused, Ember continued with narrowed eyes. "Point is, dipstick: can you keep that promise knowing what you're up against?"

"We won't know unless I try. And what would the alternative be? Do nothing? I'm not going to abandon her."

Ember fell back in her chair with a scoff. "You and your hero complex."

"He won't have to fight alone." Danielle got off the couch, standing with a proud form. "I'll fight Vlad with him."

Ember raised an eyebrow. "And how long will that last before you start melting?"

"Once we find a cure for my instability, Danny wouldn't have to worry about me." Danielle said confidently.

Ember was unconvinced. "Uh-huh. And how long will that take?"

Frustration was growing on Danielle's face. She stomped toward Ember and pointed an accusing finger.

"Why do you keep arguing with us!?"

"It's called thinking things through and ahead. Something you should learn if you want to survive, kid." Ember calmly answered back.

"You're really getting on my nerv– ugh …"

Danielle fell on her knees. Danny shot off the couch immediately.

"Danielle!"

Danielle's legs started to turn into a green mess.

"Ahh!" She sprung up, but lost her balance and fell backward. Danny was able to catch her.

"No. No! Not again!" she closed her eyes, trying to focus while Danny could only hold her without an idea of what to do.

Ember made her way to Danielle. She knelt down and grabbed her shoulders.

"Babydip, look at me." Danielle stared at Ember's stern yet calm eyes. "Don't panic. Take easy breathes."

Danielle's breathing slowed down. Ember's hands moved from her shoulders and snaked around her waist. She pulled the child halfa from Danny's worried and conflicting hands, into a hug. For a moment, only to Danny's eyes, he saw Ember's ponytail flicker for a split second. Then, to his astonishment, the melting stopped. And before long, her legs started to regenerate.

"Feeling better?" Ember softly cooed.

Danielle nodded. She buried herself against Ember.

"It's just like last time …" she let out tiredly.

"Last time?" Ember asked.

"This. When you held me, I felt warm … happy, and. Whole …"

Danielle went quiet. Ember slowly pulled back to see the little girl was sleeping again.

"This is going to a common occurrence isn't it, Babydip?" Ember carried Danielle to the couch, gently laying her head on the pillow.

Danny who was quiet and confused during that whole exchange, finally spoke up.

"What did she mean last time?"

Ember lightly pulled the blanket from under the pillow and spread it over Danielle.

"She's talking about when I saved her. When I touched her, she stopped melting and made whole again. And then she was very clingy."

She chuckled softly to herself. Her fingers combed through the girl's bangs, straightening them from the mess they were.

"The poor kid's out of it again. Probably will be for a while."

Danny stood beside Ember, watching over his sleeping cousin. A sad expression crossing his face. "I guess it takes a lot out of her."

He watched Ember treat Danielle with such care and grace. She was almost a different ghost to him after seeing this side of her.

" _That's because you never bothered to get to know one."_

All of sudden those words he once said to another enemy flashed in his mind. His eyes drooped. Maybe this was another situation where he should take those words to heart.

Danny breathed in. "Ember, I can't believe I'm saying this. But … thank you. If you hadn't been around, Danielle and I won't be here right now."

Ember turned to him with a proud grin. "Darn right, babypop. You oughta be praising me more for all I did for you."

And like that, he was reminded of the Ember he knew.

"Way to ruin the mood here." He said dryly.

"Get it straight, I don't do mushy stuff." Ember pointed at him. Turning back to Danielle briefly, she added in a sympathetic tone. "But I won't turn my back on her regardless."

There was not a lot of doubt against that. Danny sat on Ember's chair with a sigh. A hand came into his view carrying a cup of water. He took the cup with a quiet thank you to Ember, who now stood in front of him.

"So, what's the plan now?" Ember asked.

"I got to find a cure for her fast. I could try and get my parents to work on one. I'll have to think how I will do that without exposing either of us." Danny took a swig of the liquid.

He turned to his sleeping cousin with concern. "The bigger issue is I don't know what to do with Danielle."

Ember snapped her fingers. "And that's my cue. I'd like to strike a truce with you."

Danny turned back to a smiling Ember who had that usual smug on her.

"What truce?" he said suspiciously.

"So, your little dipper here needs a place out of sight from the big shot and his cronies. And as we saw, it seems I'm a good influence on the kid's health." She added that last part proudly that evidently stroked her ego.

"More like a coincidence." He doubted.

"Anyway, I think it would be very beneficial for her, if she stayed with me."

Danny was quiet, processing her words with a look of disbelief.

"You've got to be joking me." He exclaimed. "Why would that be in anyway a good idea?"

"Think about it." Ember sat on the table. "What's the last place your worst enemy would likely look for a ghost kid that's affiliated with you?"

Danny took a moment to think about that before the answer came to him.

"In the hands of my other enemy?" Ember grinned at his answer.

"Bingo. That Plasmius guy knows Babydip is here. He'll likely think she reached you and hide from him. If I were him, I'd wager he would keep tabs on you, your friends, and family as highest possibilities where you could harbor her. But one of your enemies? Very unlikely."

Ember counted with her fingers. "I say that's a good deal. She gets a place to sleep, proper food and water, out of the eyes of her enemies, and gets an instant remedy for her melting."

"Except you are one of my _enemies._ " Danny emphasized. "You and I aren't on exactly good terms for you to just help me just like that."

"Well _duh_." She replied dumbly. Ember leaned closer to Danny. "That's why there's a price of course."

And there it was. Danny expected something from Ember's end since the rooftop exchange.

"Is this the meat you were talking about?"

"Mm-hmm." Ember chirped happily.

Danny placed the empty cup on the table. "What are you scheming, Ember?"

Ember put an innocent face. "No scheming. I just want to be to hold some concerts."

" _Annnnd_ I am already not liking this." Danny regretted asking. "You think I'm going to let you have another one of your revolutions?"

"I'm not doing anything like that." Ember waved dismissively. Her eyelids grew heavy with a forlorn expression.

"It's been so long since I got to sing in front of people. All I want is some attention and be free to play my music."

There was no malice, no cocky rebelliousness in her tone. Only what sounded like a sad desire. Danny could not tell if this was genuine or if she was hiding something nefarious.

But this was Ember. The same ghost that abandoned Youngblood, letting his ship burn. How could he not be skeptical of her?

"Is that really all you want?" Danny asked.

"Yes." Ember answered immediately without a hint of smugness.

The two sat there. Danny with his thoughts and Ember waiting for his response. Honestly, her offer was very tempting. It would put a lot less weight on his shoulders, Danielle seemed to like her, Ember treated her well, and even though he was skeptical about Ember being a good influence on Danielle's destabilization, what if there was a chance that was indeed a fact?

' _I can't believe I'm doing this.'_ Danny thought. _'Then again, I could honestly do a lot worse.'_

Danny sighed, coming to a reluctant decision.

"If you're going to hold these concerts, then you're going to play them like a normal musician. Which means, no mind control. No ghost hijinks. No underhanded scheming."

Ember laughed. "Pft, yeah, 'normal'." She said that last word with a gesture of her fingers.

"And the second I see anything fishy happening with you, I'm going to stop you." Danny declared.

"I'm not going to do anything 'bad', dipstick." Ember motioned her hand over her chest. "Cross my non-existent heart and hope to die. Again."

That last remark sent mixed signals to him. It sounded like partial banter and a cheeky jab. And partially almost earnest.

Danny chose not to think too deep on that. "How long do you plan to keep her here?"

"Until you get her instability resolved. Then she can be able to take care of herself."

Ember gestured to Danny. "Anymore questions?"

Danny stared at her. No longer holding a suspicious bone in him. At least, not a lot. But there was still something that he could not decipher from the ghost diva.

"Why are you doing this?"

Ember huffed with annoyance. "I already said–"

Danny stopped her. "You want to play a couple of concerts. I got all that. But I don't buy that it's just that."

Ember looked at him confused, waiting for him to continue.

"You're harboring an ally of the Ghost Zone's biggest enemy. Even for you that risk sounds too high for the deal you're offering me. Why go out of your way when the consequences are high?"

Danny watched her, his face void of any strong emotions. Only blank curiosity. Ember, meanwhile, stared back at him with a neutral gaze. Seconds passed by until Ember answered with a confident smirk.

"Not without knowing the right notes to play, dipstick. I had an entire day to think this all through. What I would do, what needs to be done to avoid drawing attention. All that shebang. And after everything that happened between you, me, and the Babydip, you can tell I can be responsible when I need to be."

Ember stood up and closed in on him. "As long as we both do our part right, your cousin will be safe and I get to jam out without any interference."

She stretched out her hand.

"Do we have a deal, babypop?"

Danny switched glances between Ember's hand, her confident smile, and the sleeping Danielle.

There was still a lot of uncertainties between Ember and himself. But if it meant increasing the chances of keeping Danielle safe from Vlad and other enemies, and making sure she lives, then he'll do whatever it takes.

With a renewed resolve of determination, Danny took her hand.

"Fine. Deal."

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This story idea's been agitating my mind for some time. So, I decided to do something constructive with it to get it out of my head. Maybe it can even be entertaining for some of you.
> 
> Story note: This story takes place after season 2, but it won't follow season 3. There will be elements of season 3, but not the same story. There will be a FEW minor changes to enhance and help the story. Nothing that would break the characters from their original personality. More along the lines of exploring potential nuance in the characters in the Danny Phantom world that was not explored. Like "Character X has a potential connection with item v and character y". There will also be no original characters.
> 
> Releases will be random. Thank you for reading. Feedback and criticism is welcome.


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